Sergio Perez needs to improve or Red Bull will face pressure to retain championships
Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez.
Sergio Perez has floundered in recent races, suffering consecutive non-finishes in Monaco and Canada.
To make matters worse, the Mexican hasn't stood on the podium since the Chinese Grand Prix five races ago.
Red Bull's unassailable advantage from 2023 has disappeared, and they are under consistent pressure from McLaren and Ferrari.
This grid tightening has exposed Perez's deficiencies and lack of raw speed. He struggles to keep up with his mate Max Verstappen, a recurring theme since joining the team in 2021.
Perez's improved form from the start of the season, taking four podiums from the opening five races, has since disappeared.
The Mexican got eliminated from the first part of qualifying in Monaco before retiring after an incident on the opening lap of the Grand Prix.
Despite Perez's recent slump, Verstappen and Red Bull hold comfortable advantages in both championships as F1 approaches the summer break.
The 34-year-old recently signed a new contract, extending his stay at the Austrian team as Red Bull took a conservative approach, maintaining team harmony.
Perez's lack of speed in recent races has forced Verstappen to battle on his own against Ferrari, McLaren and, at times, Mercedes without the extra strategic options his teammate could provide.
Having two cars at the front of the field rather than one opens up more opportunities for teams to vary their strategy, increasing their chance of taking victory.
“If he's [Perez] on the back end of the top eight, you lose strategic options, whether you split your strategies and so on," said Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner via F1.com. "Checo in the first four or five races this year was fantastic. We just need to get him back into that headspace."
The upcoming two races at Red Bull Ring and Silverstone should allow Perez to regain some form in the middle of the European season.
An upturn in form will become ever more critical if McLaren sharpens its decision-making at the front of the field and stable regulations for 2025 allow the field to become more competitive.
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